Killer Drop
Marcus has it all: charm, good looks, successful parents, endless opportunities and anything money can buy. Along with his best friend, Tom, and Tom's crush, Yasmin, he escapes to his parents' resort condo during a school trip to Whistler, B.C. And he can't refuse when drinking makes Yasmin determined to hook up with him instead of Tom. The three d …
Ugly Kicks
Ashley Rivera's single mom can't afford to buy her new basketball shoes -- she does't even have enough for the registration fee when Ashley makes the city basketball team. So Ashley takes on extra work to make the money she needs to play basketball. Soon Ashley's overloaded schedule makes her too tired for school and her friends, and she can't take …
Ice Time
Paul Bidwell dreams of playing on a hockey team but knows that his mother can't afford to pay for the registration fees or the equipment. So he plays boot hockey with his friends and practises alone every night on the open-ice rink in the park. When the flu and mononucleosis hit Paul's school and his best friend, Vincent, is laid up with a concussi …
Shot in the Dark
Eighth-grader Micah is psyched to have made the BC junior goalball team -- even though he gets the news while dealing with a flare-up of his degenerative eye condition. What he's not happy about is his parents' decision to get him a guide dog, and the possibility of losing his independence.
When Liam, a new, first-rate player, joins the goalball tea …
Hustle
Fourteen-year-old Johnny Huttle -- nicknamed "Hustle" by his best friend, Rex -- comes from an inner-city neighbourhood, where the streets are tough and the street ball games are rougher. More than anything, Johnny wants to shine as the school's star basketball player. But the one thing standing in his way is his best friend, Rex, who outshines Joh …
Spiked
Eighth-grader Emma is the tallest person in her class. While she used to be into sports in a big way, now that she's hanging out with her new best friend, other things have become more important -- like clothes and makeup and fitting in. When Emma gets roped into volunteering for the girls' volleyball team, she feels the urge to play again. First, …
Game Face
Jay Hirtle's back in Rockets territory and he's determined to help his former teammates win the basketball championship. But some of his teammates aren't very welcoming, including Colin, Jay's former best friend and last season's MVP. When Jay wins out in a close vote for team captain, Colin's behaviour becomes even more hostile. Jay has to think o …
Last Chance
The odds are stacked against Melanie and Trent, who are trying to stay in high school while holding down part-time jobs to survive. They can't live at home, and they can't rely on the social support system. They're going to have to help each other through if they're going to make it.
Previously published as Falling Through the Cracks, a Canadian Chi …
Playing Favourites
Gavin and his friends Mido and Critter are starting high school this year, which means moving from a school with a championship-winning soccer team to a school that doesn't have a team at all. With a little encouragement from his friends and granddad, a former "footballer" from England, Gavin musters up his courage and makes a deal with the school …
Icebreaker
Gregg Stokes can tell you exactly when his life took a turn for the worse. It was the day his new stepsister, Amy, joined the starting line-up of his hockey team, and everyone immediately felt the deep chill between them. Can they thaw their icy relationship for the sake of the team
and their new family? [Fry Reading Level - 3.4
Crush. Candy. Corpse.
Paradise Manor is depressing -- the smells are bad and the residents are old. Sunny would much rather be doing her volunteer hours at Salon Teo, but her teacher won't let her. Who says volunteering at a hair salon doesn't benefit the communityā€¯
But working with the Alzheimer's patients has a surprising effect on Sunny. Along with Cole, the grands …
Cross-Check!
Lorna Schultz Nicholson's popular characters Josh, Peter, and Sam are thrilled to be reunited at a hockey tournament in Kelowna, but a lot has changed. Sam now lives in Ottawa, Josh is dealing with his diabetes, Peter is becoming a major star, and all three boys play on different teams. Can they remain friends as they all compete to be in the gold …
Play On
Alecia is about to be adopted by a new stepfather, her soccer team, the Burrards, is preparing for the championship game, and a cute new boy has arrived on the scene. But there are even more changes on the horizon. The team's game is suffering as the players get distracted by other interests. If the Burrards are to make it to the finals, they must …
Corner Kick
Michael Strike is captain of both the school soccer and chess teams. He's got his eye on fellow soccer player and overachiever Miriah, the founder of the youth organization War Orphans of the World. Miriah is quick to befriend a new student, Zahir Jamiat, who has recently moved from the Middle East, but Michael sees the newcomer as a rival. When M …
Little's Losers
The Brunswick Valley School soccer team are not just bad -- they're terrible. They haven't won a game all season and they bicker endlessly amongst themselves. They're such a disaster that their coach resigns in disgust. When, by an administrative anomaly, they qualify for the season playoffs, the only person they can find to act as coach is their f …
Out of Sight
Goalkeepers don't wear glasses...
Lately, the star goalkeeper on Linh-Mai's soccer team has been acting a little strange -- missing easy saves, passing to the wrong teammates, not noticing Linh-Mai's new glasses... Linh-Mai thinks the goalkeeper needs glasses of his own, but the problem may turn out to be more serious.
Shortlisted for the Hackmatack …
Ceiling Stars
Christine and Danelle have been best friends forever, a relationship as seemingly infinite as the glow-in-the-dark stars they have affixed to their bedroom ceilings. Lately, though, the girls have been drifting apart, as Danelle's quirky moods turn into wild and reckless acts. At first Christine wonders if her friend is on drugs, but what kind of d …
Foul Play
Remy and Alison play on rival soccer teams. Remy hasn't trusted Alison ever since her former friend attended an elite soccer camp in England last summer. When Remy finds out Alison has a special plan to beat Remy's team in the tournament, she becomes convinced that Alison will sabotage her team's players.
Foul Play is an entertaining story of misg …
Final Takedown
For as long as they've been friends, Elias has been relying on his buddy Jordan. It's Jordan's mom who takes him in when his own mother is on an alcoholic binge; it's Jordan who acts as the brother and role model that Elias doesn't have. But now they've gone too far, and a schoolyard fight has landed them both in jail. The judge gives them a warni …